Jan Wesner Childs
Virtual learning introduced as part of coronavirus mitigation efforts may have killed snow days forever in some areas, but not in Jefferson County, West Virginia.
School superintendent Bondy Shay Gibson canceled classes in the county on Wednesday, in honor of the first snow of the year. In a heartfelt letter to the community, Gibson said schools were completely closed for students and staff, and all classes – including virtual ones – were called off.
"It has been a year of seemingly endless loss and the stress of trying to make up for that loss," she said. "For just a moment, we can all let go of the worry of making up for the many things we missed by making sure this is one thing our kids won’t lose this year."
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Jefferson County, which is about 70 miles northwest of Washington D.C. and includes the communities of Charles Town and Harper’s Ferry, was forecast to get up to a foot of snow from Winter Storm Gail.
Anxiously waiting to hear if school is canceled is a much-anticipated rite of passage for any kid who grows up where it snows. Gibson called snow days "a time of renewed wonder at all the beautiful things that each season holds. A reminder of how fleeting a childhood can be. An opportunity to make some memories with your family that you hold on to for life."
But now that virtual learning is commonplace, many districts are opting to hold classes online when inclement weather moves in, rather than giving students and staff a day off.
New York City, for example, intends to move to remote classes on Thursday if a snow day is necessary because of the winter storm.
"Obviously, remote learning will be there for all kids so it’s not like the school days of old," Mayor Bill de Blasio said. "Kids will have that option, whether they’re happy about it or not, they will have learning on Thursday either way."
But Gibson encouraged her district’s 1,100 staff members and 9,000 students to get away from their screens for a day and have some fun.
"So please, enjoy a day of sledding and hot chocolate and cozy fires. Take pictures of your kids in snow hats they will outgrow by next year and read books that you have wanted to lose yourself in, but haven’t had the time," she said. "We will return to the serious and urgent business of growing up on Thursday."
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
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